Rhonda Spencer-Hwang - Raising Resilient Kids: 8 Principles for Bringing Up Healthy, Happy, Successful Children Who Can Overcome Obstacles and Thrive despite Adversity

Dr. Spencer-Hwangs commitment to share wisdom gathered from Resiliency Capital members is the start of a revolution in holistic parenting. Filled with practical methods to help us begin creating a wellness mindset at home, Raising Resilient Kids reminds us that as caretakers and guides for our children, were entrusted with a miraculous opportunitythe chance to lead by example and show our kids how to live each day with genuine appreciation for this adventure called life. You will learn how to help your children see that caring for body, mind, spirit, and soul one choice at a time can lead to a lifetime of good, especially when it comes to triumphing through adversity.

JUNI FELIX , member of the Behavior Design Teaching Team created by Dr. BJ Fogg; founder and director of Stanford Universitys Behavior Design Lab; author of You Are Worth the Work: Moving Forward from Trauma to Faith

Even the premise of this bookcapturing the wisdom of the ages from centenarians to guide todays young parentsis intriguing. Rhonda Spencer-Hwang has distilled an amazing array of advice from those over 100 years of age into a useful set of principles for raising resilient children. With practical references to scientific literature and an engaging writing style, she carries the reader through her own life experiences while sharing simple guidelines for healthy living. Parents of all ages will enjoy and benefit from the wisdom in these pages.

RICHARD H. HART, MD, D R PH , president, Loma Linda University Health

As a family physician, I see patients ranging in age from newborn to elderly, or from the cradle to the grave, which gives me the privilege of seeing people as they age. I have often asked my older patients who are doing remarkably well what their secrets are. This book, which is filled with wisdom from centenarians, is written in a very down-to-earth way with funny anecdotes, which makes it easy to read. Its advice will help you raise your children so they can bounce back from the challenges they will face in a less-than-perfect, ever-changing world. The book is well-researched and breaks the findings down into sensible and thorough solutions to help your children build successful and meaningful lives. I highly recommend it as an entertaining and effective tool to help you raise confident, optimistic children.

JANINE HWANG, MD

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Raising Resilient Kids: 8 Principles for Bringing Up Healthy, Happy, Successful Children Who Can Overcome Obstacles and Thrive despite Adversity

Copyright 2021 by Dr. Rhonda Spencer-Hwang. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-4964-4508-7

Build: 2021-04-21 22:34:26 EPUB 3.0

This book is dedicated to my husband, Joe, and our children, Jayden, Joelle, and Julia.

R AISING R ESILIENT K IDS INTRODUCES YOU to eight healthy habits that centenarians (people one hundred years or older) have practiced since childhood and that may improve your familys overall health and resilience as well. Before making major changes to health practices such as diet and exercise, however, be sure to consult with your physician.

W HEN THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS of 2020 forced the world to stop and retreat indoors, parents and experts alike began to worry about how living through a pandemic would impact our childrens development.

COVID-19 created an adverse childhood experience (ACE) for nearly every child on earth. What would this mean long-term for a global generation of children?

Research on ACEs is of growing importance as we learn more about their potential lifelong effects on health. Equally important, if not more so, is knowing what protective actions can counter the impact of early life adversity and build resiliency. Fortunately, not long before the pandemic struck, Dr. Spencer-Hwang completed her study of the childhood habits of another generation that had grown up during perilous timesthe centenarians who were born around the year the previous global pandemic struck and whose youth was shaped by the Great Depression and Second World War.

In this innovative approach to capturing and distilling the salient life experiences of a vibrant and active community of centenarians, Dr. Spencer-Hwang lays out a blueprint of eight strategies to create a hub of resilience in your own home. The lessons she has gleaned from her interviews are consistent with habits known to mitigate the effects of ACEs and improve overall physical and mental health. As a busy mom herself, she offers practical suggestions on how your family can begin incorporating all of these principles in your daily life. Although technology has altered our lifestyles since the childhoods of these treasured sages, these concepts are timeless and adaptableand possibly never more important to us than now.

As you reflect on how the cascading impacts from unavoidable life circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic may be influencing your children, family, and other loved ones, be encouraged by the compelling and inspiring vignettes shared in this work. Be empowered to have faith, set goals, and take action, knowing that these adversities do not preclude living long, healthy lives; rather, this stretching and molding we are all enduringand how we choose to intentionally respond to our challengesmay strengthen and equip us to stay the course and enjoy many more decades of a joyful, blessed, and healthy life.

Celeste Philip, MD, MPH

Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

O N A MILD C ALIFORNIA WINTERS DAY a few years ago, I sat on the patio watching my youngest child, one-year-old Julia, babbling away in the sandbox. Her brother and sister were already at school, and I had no classes to teach that day. I didnt have to rush off to a meeting, answer an email, give a health presentation, drive car pool, or settle sibling disputes. I relished this unhurried moment of calm.